Original Music // Depactus

Sometimes what makes a great soundtrack is the space between the music. We used silence as an instrument in a recent collaboration.

Our friends at Instrument always kill it and their newest film for Depactus is nothing short of compelling. Bringing together an ominous VO narration with striking and surreal imagery brought forth a dynamic film that not only showcased the intensity of surfing, but conveyed the moodiness and awe-inspiring nature of the sea itself.

Giving respect to the humbling imagery, our team of music supervisors and composers worked on a soundtrack that accentuated the raw power of waves and what lays beneath the surface of the ocean. Our team of producers—Tim Shrout and Rob Dennler—worked closely with our Creative Director and co-founder Brian Hall, going with a gritty, powerful direction with his soundtrack. Mimicking the fluidity of water, his music was equal parts silent serenity and bombastic dissonance crashing in like waves on rocks.

The collaboration of music and picture is a dance. Great dance partners don't step on each others toes and when it comes to writing a soundtrack, there's a lot of potency of knowing when not to take the lead and simply follow along in silence.